Evil Angel Video and Jules Jordan Video have been awarded over $17.5 million in a piracy and copyright infringement lawsuit against Canadian distributor Kaytel Distribution, its principal Alain Elmaleh, and Leisure Time Canada, Inc. A federal jury in Los Angeles found in favor of the adult entertainment companies on all counts.
Jury Deliberations and Verdict
After less than a day and a half of deliberations, a nine-member federal jury delivered a verdict in favor of Evil Angel Video, Jules Jordan Video, and their principals, John Stagliano and Jules Jordan. The jury found the defendants liable for video piracy, copyright and trademark infringement, and violation of right of publicity.
Evil Angel's share of the award totals $11.2 million. Jules Jordan's share is $5.4 million. Evil Angel received $3.5 million for the trademark claim against Elmaleh alone. The total judgment against the defendants reached $17.5 million. Jules Jordan, under his real name, also sued for violation of his right to publicity, for which the jury awarded him $1 million.
The jury determined that the defendants illegally pirated 31 Evil Angel movies and 13 movies from Jules Jordan. The maximum penalty for copyright infringement is $150,000 per title.
Details of the Piracy Operation
The piracy ring was uncovered in late 2004 and early 2005 after East Coast distributors reported receiving "knocked off" copies of Evil Angel DVDs. Initially, Evil Angel did not give much credence to these allegations, suspecting they might be fabricated by a distributor seeking a better price. However, subsequent research by Evil Angel confirmed the legitimacy of the rumors.
According to Evil Angel General Manager Chris Norman, Kaytel never purchased DVDs directly from Evil Angel. Norman alleged that Kaytel acquired legitimate DVDs from a wholesaler, used them to create glass masters, and then sent these masters for illegal replication. The directors whose movies were most heavily exploited included Jules Jordan, Rocco Siffredi, and John Stagliano.
Companies and Individuals Involved
Evil Angel is an American independent production company and distributor of pornographic films, founded and owned by John Stagliano. The company, headquartered in Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California, was founded on March 19, 1989. Evil Angel is known for pioneering the gonzo pornography genre in the late 1980s. It has been described as a dominant distributor of hardcore pornographic films in the U.S. and one of the most profitable porn studios.
Jules Jordan, born Ashley Gasper, is an American pornographic movie director, actor, and producer. His movies were formerly distributed under John Stagliano's Evil Angel. In early 2006, Jules Jordan Video began handling its own distribution. Jordan is known for his use of long takes, tease, and fetish clothing, and his most famous series include "Flesh Hunter," "Ass Worship," "Feeding Frenzy," and "Weapons of Ass Destruction," all classified as gonzo pornography.
The defendants in the case were Canadian distributor Kaytel Distribution, its principal Alain Elmaleh, and Leisure Time Canada, Inc.
Key Facts
- Evil Angel Video was awarded $11.2 million.
- Jules Jordan Video was awarded $5.4 million.
- The total judgment against the defendants was $17.5 million.
- The defendants were Kaytel Distribution, Alain Elmaleh, and Leisure Time Canada, Inc.
- The jury found violations of video piracy, copyright and trademark infringement, and right of publicity.
- The jury determined 31 Evil Angel movies and 13 Jules Jordan movies were illegally pirated.
